Tensions have been running high near the Israeli fence around Gaza since March 30, which marked the start of a series of protests demanding the right of return for the Palestinians driven out of their homeland during decades of Israeli violence.

The Gaza clashes reached their peak on May 14, marking the 70th anniversary of the Nakba Day (the Day of Catastrophe).

At least 170 Palestinians have been killed and over 18,000 others wounded in the fresh wave of Israeli violence in Gaza, according to the latest figures released by the Palestinian Health Ministry.